Switched?! [Gruvia & Nalu] (UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 1 •How It Started• (REVISED)

JUVIA'S POV:

"Lucy, wait up!" I yelled in-between breaths, trying to chatch up to my best friend.

It was mid-winter, and the fluttering snowflakes, although beautiful, were blurring my vision.

"Oh! Sorry, Juvia!" Lucy said, slowing and turning around.

Lucy and I are about as polar opposite as possible; she's a giddy blonde that likes to wear pink and listen to Taylor Swift, while I have blue hair, a closet consisting of solely black and blue, and an aversion to all things mainstream. Even so, we've been friends for as long as I can remember.

Finally catching up to her, I asked, "so.. how is everything with Natsu?"

Natsu Dragneel being Lucy's crush of two years, though his aloof personality and dense brain structure has led Lucy to believe that he only sees her as a friend. I, ever the hopeless romantic, have always held out hope that the pink-haired boy and my best friend are destine to be together.

There was silence, followed by a sigh, and then finally her response: "Oh, y'know... the usual." Another pause. "I just don't think he'll ever see me as more than a friend."

I did know, as I'm in the same boat with my long-time crush, Gray Fullbuster. The exact. same. boat. And we're both sinking.

"Don't I know it.... " was my feeble attempt to sympathize with Lucy, though it probably did a better job at making me feel worse.

Our paces quickened after the mention of our failed love lives. Before we knew it, our destination was in front of us: our good friend, Levy's, house. We walked up into the front porch of the cute suburban ranch house, and I lightly tapped on the door. When no one answered, Lucy tried the handle. It was, not surprisingly, unlocked. Levy's older brother's Jet and Droy were always going in and out of the house on a whim, so the McGarden household was often just left open.

Levy's not being home was no more surprising than the unlocked door.

"Helloooo..!" Lucy made our presence known.

"Kitchen..!" replied the familiar voice of Levy's mom.

Lucy and I followed the scent of brownies through the living room. One of Levy's brothers was watching tv, the volume way too loud considering his closeness to the tv. We entered the kitchen as a tray of freshly baked cookies was placed on the stovetop.

"Levy has yet to return from her study session at the library," Mrs. McGarden informed us. "Honestly, I love that girl, but would it kill her to take a break a little once in a while? Am I right, girls."

Lucy and I made a sound of agreement, though secretly exchanging a knowing look. Levy being late to a meet up between us that she arrange... well, that has Gajeel written all over it.

Gajeel is my brother—technically adoptive, but we're so close that we tend to brush over the fact. We've never needed to have the same blood to consider ourselves siblings, just like I've never needed the ability to read minds to know that Levy and my brother have the hots for each other. Recently, the two of them have been having after-school study sessions. Though it's mostly Levy, a straight A student and award-winning mathlete, helping my nails-for-brains brother with his courses. This, of course, being information not privy to Mrs. McGarden.

"Help yourselves to some brownies. I'm heading out to do some errands. Have Levy text me when she gets home!"

Mrs. McGarden was out the door by the end of her last sentence, leaving us partially alone in the house. Being friends with Levy for the longest time, this type of situation didn't faze us. We grabbed a plate of brownies and headed to Levy's room. Even had we not spent countless of sleepovers together in that very room, it would be insanely easy to determine its resident. The room reflects Levy's personality to a tee: books everywhere.

Her all-time favorite novels line the two huge bookshelves on one side of the room, while her recent finds can be found in tall stacks on the ground. One book, however, was laid open on her bed. Light from an open window illuminated the book to the point that its glossy ink and refined leather edges were practically shimmering. It was mesmerizing enough to halt the conversation Lucy and I were having about our classes earlier that day. Having time to kill until Levy returned from her study date and a plate full of brownies, we decided to flip through the book. After all, Levy's always had the best taste in books, and it seemed like she'd stayed up late reading this one.

Her bed was un-made and the light on her bedside table was positioned to shine at the head of the bed, which sleepovers have taught us is where Levy always sits and reads before going to sleep.

"Wow. It's beautiful," Lucy voiced, examining the leather-bound book. "I wonder how old it is."

"It looks ancient," I mused. "Juvia wouldn't even know where to find parchment like this..."

"And it looks like real ink..." Lucy added. "Only true artisans use a quill and ink for writing these days..."

"Of course you'd know that, ms. writer." I smirked and playfully nudged Lucy.

Lucy loves to write, and it's her dream to become a professional author in the future. She currently writes for the school newspaper, though most of her articles are published anonymously. If only she could get over the fear of putting her writing out there, she could easily be the next Hemingway.

"So, what's the deal with this book..?" I looked to Lucy. It was nothing like any piece of literature I'd seen, and it certainly seemed out-of-place in the sea of romance and fantasy novels that is Levy's room. In fact, it seemed to be in an entirely different language.

"Not sure. I've never seen anything like this outside of Spells Class."

Spells Class was one of the courses required by our high school, Fairy Tail Academy, as part of our magic education.

"Kanmi-sufar.....gorchi gamma? Sakama, grithnad banam?" Lucy said trying to pronounce the spell,
(a/n: the spell doesn't mean anything, just random words I thought of)

"Handjo manti forthe northope? Handle soyfa gamha sante magah," I finished, doing my best to pronounce the words right.

The open pages of the books began to glow as Lucy chanted the last few words. Knick-knacks fell from their place on Levy's tall bookshelves as the room began to shake. In the blink of an eye, the whole room was overtaken by blinding yellow light. This scene lasted only a few seconds before the light dispersed and the room settled. Lucy and I stared at each other in disbelieve. Sure, we'd seen magic performed plenty of times in demonstrations at school, even dabbled in a few spells ourselves (under the strict supervision of our teachers), but never before had we achieved an effect like this.

"What. Just. Happened?" I blanched.

"I... Oh god, I don't know! But it is a spell book!" Lucy observed. "The question is: what was this particular spell for..?"

"I feel fine. Do you feel fine?" I inquired, trying to keep the panic at bay.

"I feel... normal." Lucy shrugged.

"Well, it must've done something! To us... or the room.. or.."

"...Jet!" We exclaimed together.

We scrambled off the bed and traversed the floor that was now scattered with a few fallen decorations and books. Upon opening the door, there stood a petite figure in the hallway, her hand extended toward where the handle would be had the door not been viciously swung open (inwardly, thankfully) by her two frantic friends.

"Levy!"

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"You guys are here already, then..." Levy started, "I'm really sorry to keep you waiting! It must've been so boring waiting for me..."

Lucy and I exchanged a look that said, "quite the opposite, actually..." Lucy pulled Levy inside the room, while I peeked down the hall and into the living room. Jet was still glued to a football game playing on the tv, so it felt safe to say that the effects of the spell were contained to Levy's room.

Or so we thought.

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Originally published in 2015.

Revision Status: complete as of 04.21.21